Size My Habit

Sugary Drinks / Soda: Cans vs T-Rex (height in sugar cubes)

See how your sugary drinks / soda habit scales when comparing cans to t-rex (height in sugar cubes). Cans of soda filling bathtubs, dumpsters and Olympic pools—sweet shock guaranteed. Enter your daily fizz count now.

Size My Sugary Drinks / Soda Consumption

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Your Habit Scale

See how your consumption adds up over time.
Time PeriodEquivalent in T-Rex (height in sugar cubes)
1 Year25.55 T-Rexes
5 Years127.75 T-Rexes
25 Years638.75 T-Rexes

How It's Calculated

  • 1. Your input: 2 Cans per day.
  • 2. We convert this to a total amount of "mL beverage" (the fundamental unit for this habit, e.g., one cigarette, one mL of liquid, one gram of plastic). This involves multiplying your input quantity by a unit factor (e.g., 330 if converting from cans (330mL/12oz) to mL beverage).
  • 3. Key conversion factors for the "T-Rex (height in sugar cubes)" analogy: For this comparison, each "mL beverage" is considered to be 0.000424 meters long/tall. One unit of "T-Rex (height in sugar cubes)" (the analogy) represents a height/length of 4 meters.
  • 4. The total amount of your habit (in its base unit, potentially adjusted by a count factor) is then projected over 1, 5, and 25 years. This projected total is then divided by the 'T-Rex (height in sugar cubes)'s' constant value (e.g., the volume of one swimming pool, the height of one Statue of Liberty) to give you the results in the table.

Why It's Important

Prepare for a sugar-fueled spectacle! The amount of sugar in your annual candy intake, if converted to sugar cubes and stacked, would be as tall as 25.55 T-Rex (height in sugar cubes)(s). That's a crystalline tower of sweetness so immense it could rival prehistoric beasts, famous statues, or even giant Wookiees!

The power of this visual is in its absurdity and scale. It translates the hidden sugar in your treats into a massive, tangible structure. This isn't just about a few extra calories; it's about understanding the colossal volume of sugar consumed over a year. This starkly illustrates the health risks associated with high sugar intake, making it a memorable and motivating tool for anyone looking to manage their diet and sugar consumption.

The Science Behind It

Sugary beverages—from sodas to sweetened juices—are among the top sources of added sugar in modern diets, driving rising rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dental decay. SizeMyHabit’s Sugary Drinks Calculator translates your daily cans or glasses into grams of sugar, calories, and even sugar-cube equivalents, harnessing scientific insights into sugar metabolism and health risks.

1. Rapid Absorption & Glycemic Impact

Free sugars in beverages are almost entirely monosaccharides (glucose, fructose) or disaccharides (sucrose) that require minimal digestion. Unlike sugars bound within whole fruits, liquid sugars bypass the fiber matrix and flood the bloodstream, triggering rapid glycemic excursions. Studies show that each 12-oz can of soda can raise blood glucose by 2–3 mmol/L within 30 minutes, eliciting a pronounced insulin response.

2. Fructose & Metabolic Dysregulation

Sucrose splits into equal parts glucose and fructose. While glucose is metabolized by all tissues, fructose is almost exclusively processed in the liver. High fructose flux promotes de novo lipogenesis—fat creation—leading to elevated triglycerides, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and insulin resistance. Liquid sugars intensify this effect because they lack the satiety signals (gastric distension, incretins) triggered by solid foods.

3. Energy Balance & Weight Gain

Meta-analyses confirm that regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases total caloric intake by 100–200 kcal/day on average, translating into a 0.2–0.5 kg weight gain per year if not compensated by reduced intake elsewhere. The calculator’s “kilocalorie” readout helps users visualize these hidden calories—equivalent to a 20-minute jog per 330-ml can.

4. Dental Demineralization

Frequent exposure to dietary sugars fuels cariogenic bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus mutans), which ferment sugars into lactic acid. This acid lowers plaque pH below the critical threshold (~5.5), demineralizing enamel and initiating cavities. Tracking daily sugar-cube equivalents (≈4 g of sugar per cube) highlights cumulative acid exposure over a week or month.

5. Behavioral Feedback & Reduction Strategies

Self-monitoring interventions that provide personalized feedback on sugar intake can reduce sugary-drink consumption by 20–30%. SizeMyHabit pairs real-time tracking with actionable tips—swapping one soda per day for water saves ~36 kg of sugar annually, a tangible goal that leverages goal-setting theory and loss-aversion.

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